A Heart So Black
by Destro McCullen
Summary: After his escape Grant Ward discovers his destiny and thus he goes on a dark journey that will forever change S.H.I.E.L.D. can he be stopped can our heroes save the day? Regardless Coulson and his team are about to learn not all origin stories are about the hero sometimes they are about the villain and soon our heroes will discover how black a heart can be.
1. Prologue

Johnny Blaze sat in the interrogation room _Damn it! I don't have time for this what are they thinking? _He thought to himself. After a couple of minutes Coulson walked in carrying a file he took a seat across from Johnny placing it on the table

"So your Johnny Blaze a former stunt rider I'm curious what do you think your'e doing interfering with Shield business?" Coulson asked clearly trying to be nice "Look I don't know what he did to you but he's dangerous."

Johnny laughed "Yeah you have no idea. Trust me on this you need to forget about Grant Ward he's dangerous more dangerous than you know he killed his brothers, sister, and parents to become what he is now. Let me deal with him please! You have no idea what you are dealing with. You and all of your people are going to die if you don't listen to me."

"Just what exactly do you think Ward has become?" Coulson asked clearly skeptical.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." _Who would believe that I sold my soul to a demon and now that demon's bastard son was running around wreaking havoc killing his human family to complete his transformation._

"Try me." Coulson replied with a smirk. He honestly didn't know what was happening nor would he believe after all this wasn't Coulson's world. He faced aliens and super powered humans not demons and all the other spooks that went bump in the night.

Johnny shook his head _this guy is going to think I'm crazy or lying_ "Okay a few decades ago there was this rich guy he wanted his oldest son to be the next freaking JFK so he sold his soul to a demon but the demon didn't just want the man's soul. He wanted the man's wife to bear him a son. Why I don't know but he micro managed the kid's life from the shadows watching him get abused, arranging for this Garrette guy to bring him into Hydra and subsequently drill any and all humanity out of him. I'm assuming you found strange impressions in the wounds left by the blade? Their magical symbols belonging to a demonic blade the more this Ward guy kills people he's connected to whether by blood or through some strong emotional attachment the less human he becomes. I guess you could say his heart is getting blacker with each kill."

"You really expect me to believe that there are demons and you really expect to believe that Ward is the bastard son of a demon?" Coulson asked clearly skeptical.

Johnny gave Coulson a fierce look "Yes and I am begging you to let me go so I can fight him your out of your depth Coulson. What Ward is or is becoming it's not something you can handle. He's beyond you now Coulson you'll never be able to capture him much less stand against him. So take the advice he gave you when he left you that note on Christian's body and forget him you and your team forget Ward forget you ever met him and knew him. Just go back to your Hydra and your aliens. This is not your world."

* * *

><p>Ward sat a bar table he'd shaved his face since escaping he couldn't stand having a beard it was itchy and it was what really driving him insane. He often thought it was inhumane of his old team to not allow a man the simplest of accommodations like a shower, a clean shave, or a tooth brush. An entire year had passed since he'd escaped and he'd made some interesting discoveries about his heritage but more on that later.<p>

As Ward finished his scotch he heard the sounds of sirens blaring _finally found me huh. _He thought to himself taking a sip. In a few minutes the two female stooges busted in the door May, and Skye.

The first to speak was May still poised and in control as always aiming her gun at Ward "It's over Ward we're taking you in."

Ward rolled his eyes he'd wondered where the bartender had gone clearly S.H.I.E.L.D. had warned him ahead of time and he ran off "Do you mind I'm trying to enjoy a nice drink."

"You're kidding right you are a wanted terrorist do you really think you can just stroll on in to a bar and have drink you have to pay for your crimes Ward!" Skye yelled appalled by his indifference.

Ward turned around facing Skye and May "Actually I can I did and I will. Now you two have two choices take your little army out there and run back to S.H.I.E.L.D. or I kill you both and decorate this fine establishment with your insides."

Skye scowled at Ward in disgust "You're a monster Ward, a killer!"

Surprisingly Ward just starred at her blinking like he needed truly register what she saying Skye didn't know what but something was different about him. Ward didn't seem like himself he wasn't showing signs of his usual delusional personality he was focused, down to Earth, and even stranger he didn't seem to care Skye was in the room he was barely even paying attention to her. After a long silence he burst into laughter "A monster Skye? You think I'm a monster let me tell you something you're friend here May she's a killer just like me she's killed people for money she justifies it by saying that they were bad people or that because of what she's done innocent lives will be sparred but at the end of it all a killer is a killer."

"Shut up!" Skye shouted "I am done listening to you Ward every word that comes out of your mouth is like poison just die!" In a fit of rage she fired the gun unloading the clip into Ward he stumbled grabbing the table.

May's mouth opened shocked by what Skye had just done "Skye what did you just do?"

Skye just starred at Ward her eyes blaring with hatred "Does it matter? The bastard is finally dead."

The two women heard laughing and though they were shocked and alarmed they readjusted their aim as a laughing Ward stood back up "You should be dead! No one could survive that many bullets!" May screamed.

"Oh really May we're playing that game? Where you get scarred and I the big monster just laugh. Then you ask what I am and I kill you both in a classic bloody fashion. Well the answer to the questions scurrying around in your heads is that I have evolved and my evolution has forced sanity upon me so now I see things for as they truly are so make no mistake Skye!" Ward ripped off his blood stained shirt and his skin started to change color becoming black as night, his eyes turning blood red, and his hair growing long and wild. "There will be no attempts at reconciliation Skye! There will be no attempts to earn your trust back there will only be me ripping out your beating heart and eating it! I hope you've made peace with God because there's nothing but hell for both of you from here on out!"


	2. Chapter 1

Coulson looked at a map the United States it was frustrating he and his team had their hands full with Hydra enough as it was now what could only be described as a rapid increase in murder and random acts of violence were taking place. It was truly carnage on a scale he'd never seen before.

In the state of New York fifty cases had been reported of those fifty, twenty two were of happy every day American families that were completely normal and known to go to church every Sunday and most even had white picket fences in less serious circumstances Coulson might find all that funny but not today. Another eight of these cases were of teenage girls all virgins believe it or not they had been raped repeatedly and skinned alive their bodies posed and propped up as if they were begging and reaching out toward the heavens. Also nineteen newborns had been abducted and thrown into a pit that had been lit on fire and finally the last reported incident a priest had been crucified his body strung up for his parishioners to see.

Horrible as this all was these incidents were just in one state. The much more horrible truth was that acts such as these were happening all over the world it was too random and out of control to be planned or orchestrated but something about it made Coulson suspect something larger was at work.

If only he could figure out the connection then maybe just maybe he figure out what was going on. Was it all somehow part of some Hydra plot? No Hydra was all about world domination not senseless murder "Ugh! What the hell is going on?" He heard the knock at his office door "It's open."

Skye walked in holding a file "Hey Coulson I got those files from the seventies and eighties you wanted."

"Thank you Skye you can put them on my desk."

"So what are you looking for?"

"When I was younger Skye, fresh out of the academy there was a lot of occult activity especially with kids. I think there was also a lot of hysteria people crying wolf if you will about satanic cults and human sacrifices but I never knew how much of it was real."

"So you think the murders might be connected to some of the reports in the seventies and eighties?"

"It's a reasonable assumption besides I'm jumping at straws we've never seen anything like this. By the way how's our prisoner?"

"He's still babbling making no sense." Skye lifted up a tablet pressing a few buttons she connected to the security camera.

Coulson took a look at the man he and his team had captured this man's name was Rupert Galloway, he hadn't responded to anything so far he just kept saying the same words over and over again "Rutiro te tnubaroda. Seps tse sinif los srabenet te tnubaroda mue eregruser." Hearing the words from the camera only made it more eerie. Coulson and his team had been struggling to translate the language and so far nothing all this man spoke was these words over and over it made no sense.

"Does Fitz have any idea on what the language might be yet?"

Skye shook her head "No we've run it through every scan cross referenced every language alien and human and we've yet to find any remote trace. What's this guy's story anyway?"

"He used to be a car salesman in Wisconsin. That is until he killed his family traveled across the country going on what we thought were random killing sprees. It all came to an end when he ended up on S.H.I.E.L.D'S front door holding a disembodied, covered in blood and screaming those words."

"I'm sure we get nut jobs all the time what makes this guy so special?"

Coulson gave Skye an intense stare "Every person he killed on his way here, all of them were either Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D now how does a car salesman without any training or history with either Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D suddenly find and kill the best of both?"

In that second Fitz came busting in "Coulson I…" struggled to remember the word he wanted to use.

"You figured out how to translate what he's saying?" Skye continued for him.

"Yes it's uh…" Again Fitz was having trouble remembering what to say "It's Latin but back words."

"Wait Latin?" Coulson asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes I can translate it using the…" this time instead of explaining he just grabbed the tablet and pressed a few buttons. Within moments an electronic voice was coming out of the tablet: **He is rising and you shall worship him. He is the darkness of the sun the end of hope he will rise and you will worship him.**

"What do you think it means Fitz?" Skye asked crossing her arms.

"I have no idea Skye."

"I'm more concerned about finding out who _he_ is." Coulson said before turning his attention to the files."

* * *

><p>Christ's Crown New York, Local Dinner<p>

A great deal of time had passed since Ward had escaped in that time he'd been on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D and from Hydra- who wanted him dead for any information he might have given Coulson- he was lucky his new employer an international criminal by the name of Mephisto Pheles- an alias Mephisto used when conducting business among mortals it was a play on his full name Mephistopheles- found him and gave him a job in Christs Crown a small little town in New York State. Ward didn't know why but Mephisto had given him a job and taken him in he often said they were going to accomplish great things together whatever that meant. Ward didn't understand anything his new boss did in fact it all seemed strange collecting artifacts that clearly were not asguardian or of any type of alien origin, chasing myths and fairy tales, collecting old books. Of course Ward was not aware these seemingly useless items were magic how could he possibly know?

Still it irritated him to no end Mephisto was the kind of evil master mind that always told you half the plan and always said "When I need you to know something you will know it." When you discovered you only knew a fraction of what was going on.

"Well you look well." A voice said from behind Ward.

Ward turned around to see Mephisto who in his human form looked like a kind old man dressed in a red suit. "Look Mephisto I'm grateful for everything you've done for me but I have to know what am I doing in a small town like Christ's Crown. I mean when you don't have me collecting old artifacts and books you have me stationed here running-"

"Running my East Coast operations. You know my old friend Garrette taught you a lot Ward but he never taught you to think for yourself to aim higher. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised soldier don't make good thinkers."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Mephisto laughed "It means exactly what I said you need to unlearn everything Garrette taught you Son. I have big plans for you Ward I need you to start thinking big beyond what Garette wanted for you. I don't see you being part of an army I see you commanding one."

"So what are we doing Mephisto what is the endgame and how do I fit in to it?"

Mephisto's smile widened "You know how people go on about changing the world or changing history?"

"Yeah so?"

Mephisto leaned in closer whispering in to Ward's ear "We're going to do both and only one team can stop us."

"Who the Avengers?"

Mephisto laughed "No Ward a far fiercer group than them."

"Who? Who is fiercer than the Avengers?" Ward asked skeptical.

"Tell me Ward have you ever heard of the Midnight Sons?"

"No who are they?"

"It's better if you see what they can do for yourself just know they make the Avengers look like school children in the mean time I'll take care of them while you do something for me." Mephisto explained taking out a wrapped dagger.

"What do you want me to do with that?" Ward asked starting to get nervous.

"Nothing much I just want you to kill you're family."


End file.
